


into fire

by kidofchaos



Series: salvation [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF, dreamteam - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Denial of Feelings, Dream is a smug bastard, End of the World, Fluff, M/M, Natural Disaster, POV GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Pining, The World Is On Fire, george is an idiot, mutual affection
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-17 10:41:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28847712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kidofchaos/pseuds/kidofchaos
Summary: the world has descended into uncontrollable wildfires, and george is on the run, trying his best to make it to the coast, and to the offshore colony where he would be safe. along the way, a stranger stumbles upon him, at first threatening, but then their companionship grows. they travel together through the hardships of the wilderness, making progress each day towards the ocean, and eventually, their safety of the Utopia.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: salvation [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2115378
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5





	1. one.

**Author's Note:**

> hi! this work was originally posted on wattpad, and i am the author, poseidonprince, from there. i honestly don't care if the cc's know about this fic or not, but please don't shove it in their faces. if they express even the slightest inclination of being uncomfortable with any fanfiction of this nature, this will be removed immediately from both sites.

a little note before we begin.

this is a dreamnotfound fanfic. it's not going to be one of those insanely creepy ones, over extremely overly sexual ones though. it's mostly built around seeming extremely realistic while also following an intense story line full of trauma and tragedy. please vote and share if you enjoy, or leave comments or questions as you read. this story is completely pre-written, so uploads should be semi-consistent. there most likely will be around 5-6 chapters (subject to change), because i don't write super long stories very often. thanks. -e

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word total for this chapter: 1299

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Running. Always running. I can't stop for long, because then they'll catch up. And then I'll be dead. Worse than dead.

My throat burns, and I cough, attempting to get rid of the feeling. They're getting closer. I've been too close to the fires for too long.

The whole world is on fire. It seems as if I'm one of the few left alive. Many were taken out by the first wave of wildfires; they came so quickly, and with absolutely no warning.

Cities suddenly went up in flames, and people couldn't outrun the rampant destruction. I was one of the more fortunate.

I stayed on my toes, even though the majority of humanity didn't believe that they could be next.

Now, I'm just making my way toward the coast. I've heard rumors of an offshore colony that would be safe from the fires. Currently, I'm hiking my way through a small range of short mountains.

The snow hasn't yet melted off the caps, but it will be soon, even if I'm a day ahead of the fires. It's following me, slowly consuming the entire land. It's always the coldest right before the fires hit. Feels like the dead of winter. Like now.

I huff, a cold sweat rolling off my face in my exhaustion. Hiking my pack further up my back, my feet drag slowly, my breath coming in short gasps. I've never been the athletic type, even before this apocalyptic life.

The day goes slowly, my body tiring even more as the sun starts to set once more. I finally find the top of the small hill I've had to climb, and as I look out beyond me, I notice that for as far as the eye can see, there's just trees.

For miles, trees litter the land. I sigh. The fires will eat through that so quickly. Such a shame. Starting my trek towards the tree line, my legs ache, sore from day after day of being on my feet.

By the time I reach the bottom of the hill, and the edge of the treeline, there is very little light left. I decide that my best option is to find somewhere to sleep for a few hours.

Observing the area around me, I find a tall and very sturdy looking tree off to my left by about 50 paces. It seems like the perfect spot to climb up into the thick branches and sleep against the trunk.

Grabbing the lowest branch that I think can support some of my weight, I pull myself off the ground with some struggle, grunting from my lack of upper body strength.

After an unknown amount of time, I finally reach a decent height, where I'm not too afraid of animals underneath climbing up, but also not too high where I'd die instantly if I fell. Don't get me wrong, it'd hurt like a bitch, but I'd probably live.

I settle against the thick trunk, the cold of the large branch under me seeping through my clothing. Cold chills cause my body to tremor, and my toes begin to go numb. I forgot how quickly the cold gets to you when you're not actively moving.

Slinging my pack onto my lap, I unzip the largest pouch, reaching around for the small airplane blanket I packed at the start of all this. It folds up to the perfect size; not too big for my pack but not too small for my body.

Spreading it out along my legs, I breathe in short gasps, my chest starting to hurt slightly from the frigid air. I tuck the blanket underneath my legs and feet and try my best to cover my torso and upper body with it too.

My body warms, but only slightly. After a few minutes, I realize that it's all I can do; I just have to suffer through it. I sigh deeply and tilt my head back against the tree's trunk, my eyes fixing to the stars above.

While they're not the clearest because of the thick tree cover above me, I can still see them shining, lighting up the night sky. Despite everything, a smile creeps onto my face.

As a kid, I didn't get to see the stars that much. I lived in a large city with lots of pollution, and the only time that I could actually see the night sky in all of its glory was when we went on road trips overnight, and I'd watch the stars still as the car sped on.

My thoughts start to get fuzzy, and my eyelids droop without my permission. I fall into a peaceful sleep, my head tilting slightly to my right shoulder.

With a start, I'm awake. I hear the cracking of sticks and leaves under me, and with caution, I lean slightly, attempting to see what kind of animal is below.

Sucking in a breath, my jaw drops slightly at the sight. It's no animal. It's a man. My breathing shallows as my mind runs through a million possibilities.

Do I say something? Should I just try to stay still and hope he leaves? What if he wants to kill me? What if we could journey to the coast together?

Foolish. I scold myself. Even if he was friendly, I highly doubt he'd want to travel with me. He's probably an idiot and doesn't know basic wilderness survival.

I sit more upright, trying as best I can to make as little noise and movement as possible. Watching him from the corner of my eye, I fold the blanket back up, shoving it into my pack.

Cringing as the zipper starts to go up, I bite my lip, looking down at him again. Or, I would have, if he had been there. My breathing stops for a second when I realize that I don't know where he is.

"Come down from there!" He yells, his voice different that I thought it would be. I freeze and hope that he'll just think he was imagining the noise.

"I know you're up there!" His statement startles me. Yep. No getting out of this one. This is it. Great going, George.

I clench my jaw and finish zipping up my pack, slinging it back over my shoulder. Patting the side of my leg where my holstered knife is, I decide to comply, and hopely get out of this with my life.

Slowly, while watching the ground for any signs of movement, I climb down the branches, one by one. He comes into sight again, and I startle, nearly losing my grip. Yikes.

He's definitely taller than me, and he's got a dark green hoodie on. If he was smart, he could probably blend into his surroundings pretty well. Except for the starch white mask covering the majority of his face.

It causes him to stand out, completely distinguished from the rest of the area, even despite his attire. What's totally the weirdest thing, though, is the minimalistic smiley face on the front.

His tone and body language make the mask seem like irony; he seems like the furthest from smiling. From what little I can see under or to the side of the mask, his face is fairly tan, yet it's also covered in scars.

"All the way to the ground." I can't even see his mouth move with that mask. Without saying anything, I look back to my task, realizing that I had stopped completely about 10 feet from the ground.

My feet planted firmly against the hard ground, I turn to face him, but he's gone again. Looking around, my brows furrow in confusion. As I turn my body, he's there, merely inches away from my face, with a long, steel blade held menacingly towards my chest.


	2. two.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> dream and george butt heads slightly, but after a short time, they realize how much they truly crave companionship in these desperate times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! this work was originally posted on wattpad, and i am the author, poseidonprince, from there. i honestly don't care if the cc's know about this fic or not, but please don't shove it in their faces. if they express even the slightest inclination of being uncomfortable with any fanfiction of this nature, this will be removed immediately from both sites.

\---

word total for this chapter: 1563

\---

"Don't. Move." He says forcefully, and I freeze, knowing that I can't fight, especially while we're in this position. Backing up slightly, he looks me up and down, clearly searching for any kind of weapons.

His eyes trail to my left thigh, where the holster for my knife sits. The hand carved handle of my knife sticks out against the dark material of my pants. Slowly, he reaches to pull the weapon out of the holder, and I open my mouth to say something.

"Don't take my knife." I beg slightly, yet I don't move. His movement stops, and he peers up at me.

"I won't try to hurt you, just please. Don't take it." I finish my plea, and he seems to contemplate the options for a few seconds before ultimately deciding to allow me to keep it.

Not that I would try to use it, anyways. He's got a sword, and all I've got is a knife. A moment passes, and he takes a step away, and I feel like I can breathe again. Lowering his sword slightly, and more to his side, he looks at me, and although I can't see his eyes from underneath that damned mask, I can tell that he's analyzing me with a cold stare.

"Who are you?" He asks, forcefully, yet not in a demanding manner. I flinch when he lifts his sword again, yet I relax slightly as I watch him tuck it into the sheath across his back.

"My name's George." I reply, reaching out cautiously. His head tilts as he looks down at my outstretched hand, and I hear him either chuckle or scoff, yet he reaches out too, grasping my hand with an amount of force that I wasn't expecting.

As we shake hands, I can't help but notice how rough the skin on his hands are, even the palms, which are typically the smoothest parts. After a small moment of silence, our hands part, and it's then that I realize how warm he actually was.

"I'm Dream." He says simply, as if it's the most normal thing in the world. Maybe it is to him.

"Dream." I repeat, almost asking for confirmation. He nods and I swear that I can see him crack a small smile under that mask.

"Well, what are you doing, Dream?" I ask, yet it's obvious what the answer is.

"The same as you, I presume. Escaping the wildfires. Trying to reach the coast for salvation." Dream's voice stays fairly monotone, yet there's hints of pain in them. I can assume why. The same reason as everyone. He's lost someone, or maybe multiple someones, to the fires.

I purse my lips and nod, my eyes scanning the area around us. The sun has just started to come up, and sunlight is spilling through the trees, throwing our shadows onto the ground beside us.

"Do you really think there's an island where we'd be safe from the fires?" He asks, and I look up at him slightly, giving him an unreadable look.

"I have to believe it." I state cryptically. "I can't give up hope that I'll get through this. I have to." I don't offer any kind of explanation past that.

Dream seems to understand exactly what I mean, because he sighs deeply and puts his hands into his pockets, shoulders tensing slightly. A small bit of silence passes between us, yet it doesn't feel uncomfortable.

"Did you think I was a threat?" I ask suddenly, referring to his actions earlier, forcing me down from the tree, and his attempted disarming.

"No, but you can never be too cautious." He explains, and this time I can definitely hear the grin in his voice. I roll my eyes playfully.

"I totally could've ambushed and killed you!" I exclaim, trying to redeem myself in his mind. He simply gives me a look and starts to laugh; at least, that's what I think it is.

It sounds more like a tea kettle coming to a boil than deep, hearty laughter. Dream doubles over in laughter, sounding more and more as if he's struggling to breath.

"Shut up!" I groan, throwing my head back in frustration. Once he seems to get calmed down, I'm standing a few feet away with my arms crossed, giving him a death glare.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, you're just the opposite of threatening, especially to me." He grins, and I see the bottom of his smile peek from his mask. Even though he's practically insulting me, it makes me happy that he's able to laugh in this rough life.

"Whatever. Dumbass." I lamely respond, rolling my eyes once more, and adjusting the strap of my pack on my shoulder. He wheezes once more, but this time it's not for nearly as long.

He sighs deeply, still grinning. "So, you wanna come with me then?" Dream asks, out of the blue. I start, my mouth opening slightly, yet no words come out.

Even though I can't see his facial expressions, I can tell that he's anxious of my answer. My mind starts to work, thinking through a million possibilities at once.

Don't be dumb, George. He could kill you with one swipe of his sword. It's better to be alone. Especially after what happened the last time you trusted someone.

I shake my head, desperately trying to get these thoughts out of my head. Dream is different. It's not going to end like it did with Nick. It won't. I won't allow it.

"Umm..." I start, unsure of how to respond to him at first. I look away, my eyes scanning the environment as I think.

"C'mon, George! I know the travel life is lonely. Just come with me, and we can find this place together. We can help each other survive." He almost pleads, and I can tell that it's been hard on him to be away from humanity. He's just as alone as me.

"Okay..." I finally cave, and Dream punches the air above his head, yelling out an enthusiastic "Yes!"

Rolling my eyes, I reach out and shove his shoulder. He barely moves, and that's when I know I've messed up. Looking down at me, I can't see his expression, but I can sense that he's gonna get back at me.

I turn and start sprinting off, screaming at the top of my lungs as he laughs like a maniac, chasing me and yelling my name. He's obviously more athletic than me, and definitely stronger.

Dream catches up within 10 seconds, and suddenly I'm pinned to the ground, face down, with his heavy weight on top of me.

"Hahaha! I got you, Georgie!" He says, holding me against the ground and grabbing my knife so I can't use it against him. Not that I would. (I totally would)

"Dream! Get your fat arse off of me! You're so heavy!" I groan, attempting with all my effort to roll to get him off of me, yet he has my arms pinned to my sides, and I can barely move my legs.

"George!" He exclaims, gasping. "That's so mean! Apologize. Now!" He yells, laughing and wheezing like crazy.

"No! Let me up, Dream!"

"Not until you say you're sorry!" He responds in a singsong voice, adjusting his position so he's sitting on my back instead of kneeling over me. I huff and turn my head, placing my other cheek against the cool ground.

I mumble out a small sorry, hoping that he hears it and accepts it so he'll let me up.

"Sorry, what was that? I didn't quite catch it." He taunts me, and I can hear the grin in his voice. I grit my teeth, breathing out quickly through my nose in frustration.

My mind whirls, and I come up with an idea. He's in the completely wrong position to keep me pinned to ground, so maybe I can catch him off guard.

I throw all of my weight sideways, rolling, and pushing him off of my back. He yelps as he falls to the ground, his back colliding hard with a thud. Ending up on top of him wasn't part of the plan, but it just gives me more of an advantage.

I place my knees on each of his biceps, pinning his arms up next to his head. Grinning wildly, I watch his mouth drop open, revealing just a bit from under his mask.

Laughter bubbles up from my chest, and I can't help but let it out, watching him, just sitting there, stunned.

"Hah! I got YOU, Dreamie!" My voice rises in triumph, and I can practically feel like the eye roll from him.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." His voice is sarcastic, and I laugh again. He catches me off guard though; his arms suddenly break free from under my knees, and he grabs my torso with both of his hands, lifting my body off of him with ease.

Wiggling to get free, I yell his name, telling him to let me go. Just like that, my back is against the hard ground, and I'm staring up at him, his hands now holding my arms down.

Dream looks down at me, and I realize what an awkward position this is, especially to an outsider looking in.

"Um." I say, trying to get him to realize the same. He seems to.


	3. three.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the pair's first day on their journey together goes fairly smoothly, and they get lucky enough to find an abandoned, yet still fairly stocked, convenience store.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! this work was originally posted on wattpad, and i am the author, poseidonprince, from there. i honestly don't care if the cc's know about this fic or not, but please don't shove it in their faces. if they express even the slightest inclination of being uncomfortable with any fanfiction of this nature, this will be removed immediately from both sites.

"Oh." is all he says, letting go of my wrists and getting to his feet. Taking a step back, he awkwardly adjusts the straps of his pack, pulling it closer to his body. I push myself to sit up, setting my hands on the ground behind me.

"We should... We should probably get going." He states, looking back towards the direction of where the fires would be coming from. "They'll be here soon, I think." Dream digs the toe of his boot into the ground, kicking up a bit of dirt in the process.

"Yeah, let's get going." I agree simply. Dream reaches his hand out to me, silently offering to help me up. I thank him with a nod and grab his hand.

He pulls me up easily, and I'm almost embarrassed. Dusting the dirt off of my clothes, I look over at him, watching as he inventories his pack.

"I need more fresh water." He states simply, pulling out a few, empty, reusable bottles. I nod in response.

"I'm sure there's a river or stream around here somewhere; I could stand to get some more as well." I start doing the same, looking through the items in my bag and making a mental note of things to look out for.

More dried food, or food that stores well and has a long shelf life. More bandages, just in case. More clothes, if possible. Especially underwear.

"Earth to George?" I'm startled out of my thoughts when I realize that Dream is waving a hand in front of my face.

"Sorry, what?" I ask, my face going slightly red in embarrassment. I didn't mean to space out so badly. He chuckles slightly, shaking his head in amusement.

"I was just asking if you have any food? I'm pretty hungry, and I want to make sure that you have something to eat too."

I smile. "Yeah, I've got a few packets of dried food. Not the best, but with some water, it's tolerable."

Dream simply nods in response, pulling out something similar. We decide that we should keep moving as we eat; we can't afford to stay in one place for too long. As we walk, we eat in silence.

I grimace as I try to choke my food down, coincidentally finishing my last bottle of water to swallow it. As I realize this, I groan; finding a river or stream would be really nice right now.

As if on cue, the trees open up a bit, revealing a small, yet sufficient, river for us to get water from. I breathe a sigh of relief. After we get water, maybe we can freshen up a bit.

Setting my pack down against a large rock on the side of the river, I get out the water bottles one by one, and attempt to balance them in my arms to take to the water. A few spill out from my grasp, and just as I think they're going to roll away, Dream reaches down and scoops them up.

I mutter a quick thanks and attempt to grab them back from him, but he moves away.

"I'll help you carry them. Then you can help with mine." I raise my eyebrow at him. "It'll go faster!" He defends.

Humming in response, I turn, making my way to the flowing water once again. The process honestly does go faster with Dream's help. Within 5 minutes, we're both restocked with fresh water.

Zipping up my pack, I sling it over my shoulder. The weight is much heavier than before, yet it's not unbearable. Dream doesn't seem affected by the difference at all.

As we start to walk again, silence fills the space between us, making a pressure appear on my chest. My mind whirls with possibilities; the things that could go wrong, what happens if they go right.

Suddenly, the pressure is lifted. Dream starts to hum a tune that I'm unfamiliar with. The sound of his footsteps seems to fit perfectly, creating just enough of a rhythm. He starts to mumble under his breath.

"Sorry?" I ask, thinking he's trying to ask me something. His head snaps up from the ground, looking over at me as the humming ceases.

"Oh... nothing." Dream says, yet I can tell that he's lying.

"No, what?" I'm pressing my luck and I know it, but I can't help it. I've always been too curious for my own good.

"I was just saying that it's nice to have some company again..." He trails off, and I can tell he's embarrassed by his words. My smile grows softly, and on impulse, I reach across, setting my hand firmly on his shoulder.

Looking over at me, he stretches his arm out as well, and we're sort of side-hugging. Like bros. Bro hug!

Anyways.

I can feel the grin coming off of him, and my body moves before I can even think. Reaching with my other hand, I go to touch the bottom of his mask, hoping to tilt it up just enough to see his smile.

His hand catches mine quickly, and I wince from how hand he's grabbing it.

"I just wanted to see your smile..." Suddenly, I'm burning red. It sounds much different out loud than it did in my head.

"Oh." He replies, stupidly, letting go of my hand and letting his own fall back to his side. I purse my lips and nod, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with my arm being around his shoulders.

Deciding to remove it, I take a small step away from him, putting a bit of distance between our bodies. He seems almost... hurt by my action.

Dream turns his head away, looking in the opposite direction. The silence is back, and the pressure on my chest is worse this time. Much worse.

It continues like that for a few minutes; just walking in silence, dodging low hanging branches and holding them out of the way for each other.

The feeling lifts as Dream begins to hum again, yet this time, it's much softer, and a tune I recognize. It's the song that my best friend would sing as we were falling asleep. Patting my thigh subconsciously, I sigh, thinking about him.

Where would I be if he was still with me? My hand finds the handle of my knife, sitting just below where my hand would rest.

I hum along with him, getting caught in the moment. Gripping the handle, my eyes start to water, and not from the cold. The weather has lightened a bit; the air feels a little warmer.

Not in the bad way, however; we're slowly outrunning the fires, which means we're slowly escaping the cold.

Dream looks over, but if he notices the tears brimming in my eyes, he doesn't mention it. I'm thankful for that. The next few hours continue slowly, mostly consisting of us weaving through trees and occasionally stopping for rest or water.

As the sun starts to droop towards the horizon, our luck increases. We come across a small, abandoned, convenience store. Somehow, to both of our surprises, it is not looted. At least, not too badly.

I look over at Dream and grin proudly; we won't have to choke down the same food every day. Shoving at the doors, they don't seem to budge. I throw my weight into one of them, yet it barely squeaks, definitely showing its resilience.

Huffing in annoyance, I look at Dream, who seems to be standing back and watching in amusement.

"Don't just stand there, idiot!" My jaw clenches, slightly in anger, but mostly in embarrassment. "You try!"

With that, he braces himself against the ground, getting into a wide stance. With one large shove of all of his weight, the door swings open, slamming against the wall on the inside.

Dream looks over at me, and I roll my eyes.

"Shut up!" I defend.

"I didn't even say anything!"

"Whatever, idiot!"

Dream starts back up with that terrible laughter of his, yet I can't help but join. It's just too contagious. Within seconds, we're doubled over, laughing so hard that tears come to our eyes.

"Dream!" I plead. "Dream! Please! Stop!" My breath comes in short bursts, and my torso aches from laughing too much.

"I can't!" He wheezes, voice sounding strained at the effort. I wipe at my eyes, trying my best to stop laughing.

After a few minutes, we're able to get calmed down, and Dream is just chuckling a bit. Sighing deeply, I take the strap of my pack off of my shoulder, and let it slide down my arm, hitting the floor with a small thud.

The store seems fairly full of food and supplies that we'll be able to use or take with us. Within no time, Dream and I are stacking our arms with things, bringing them back to where our packs lie on the floor, near the door.


	4. four.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the two boys share a slightly sentimental, as well as emotionally traumatic, moment together, merely bringing them closer to each other. the moment is broken however, when they realize that the fires have nearly caught up with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! this work was originally posted on wattpad, and i am the author, poseidonprince, from there. i honestly don't care if the cc's know about this fic or not, but please don't shove it in their faces. if they express even the slightest inclination of being uncomfortable with any fanfiction of this nature, this will be removed immediately from both sites.

word total for this chapter: 1505

\---

As he starts to unzip his pack, some movement catches my eye. A small teddy bear falls out, and Dream scrambles to pick it up.

"What's that?" I ask, even though he probably doesn't want to talk about it.

"It's my little sister's..." He answers after a moment, and I notice how strained his voice sounds at the end. Glancing over at him from the corner of my eye, I watch him look down at the bear, his eyes full of emotion.

"Oh." I say softly, feeling like I'm interrupting a private moment and looking away. I hear him sigh.

"She was staying at a friend's house when the fires hit us." His voice cracks, and my gaze falls towards him again. Dream's shoulders have begun to shake, just slightly. I can tell that he's trying to hide it.

My heart hurts as I watch him try to keep it together. I finally decide on something, before I let my brain talk me out of it.

Sliding over to him, I pull him into my side, wrapping my arm around his shoulders. He lets go of the bear with one hand and turns into me, throwing his arms around my torso and pulling me into him tightly.

I breathe a gasp of surprise, but wrap my other arm around him quickly, hugging him back just as tightly. At first, we're silent, but in a few seconds, I hear Dream's soft sobs and feel him shaking in my arms.

My heart breaks just a little for him. I shush him softly, resting my head against his shoulder. Knowing that I can't push too hard right now, I just let him get his emotions out, merely whispering small bits of comfort here and there.

As time passes, I feel him shake less and less, until he seems mostly still. I loosen my arms a bit, trying to lean back and look at him to evaluate his mental state. His body comes with me, and that's when I realize he's fallen asleep against me, the two of us on our knees, hugging each other, in an abandoned convenience store.

My subconscious tries to tempt me by telling me to take his mask off, yet I resist. He obviously trusts me a little right now, and if he caught me doing that, he'd never forgive me. Slowly, I let him slide to the ground, cradling his head in my lap as I position us against the end of a shelf.

I'm sitting with my legs straight out, and Dream is on his back, his head on my legs and hands.

He looks so peaceful. I think to myself. Not at all intimidating as I thought he was before.

Dream seems to stir slightly, shifting more so onto his side, gripping the teddy bear close to his body. I almost mutter a slight 'awe,' before I think better. His hair is soft against my right hand, and I mess with it absentmindedly.

Before I know it, my head is tilted back against the shelf, and I fall asleep with one arm across the front of Dream's shoulders and chest and the other entangled in his messy hair.

I wake, yet it's not where I fell asleep. I'm lying on the cold ground, the stars shining bright above me. Sitting up, I look around, trying to comprehend what has happened.

"George!" The desperation in Dream's voice startles me, even though his yell sounds like it was from far away.

"Dream?" I yell back, unsure if I'm imagining it or not. Then, I hear a scream; one I can only assume is his.

"Please, help me, George!" He yells, and I scramble to my feet, moving quickly towards the source of his voice.

"Ah!" I yelp, nearly stepping directly off the edge of a cliff. It's so dark that I didn't even see it.

"Please!" His voice sounds hoarse and strained, and that's when I notice that he's literally holding onto the edge of the cliff with one hand.

"Dream!" I screech, immediately bending down and trying to take his other hand. He swings his arm up to try to grab a hold of my other arm, but he nearly loses his grip with the other, and he screams.

"Hold on!" I yell, stupidly. Desperately, I look around, trying to use my surroundings to figure out how to help him up. Spotting a large tree branch, I look back to Dream, about to tell him that I'll be back, when he loses his grip.

Our screams combine as I lunge over the cliff, trying my best to grab his hand. Just as I feel his fingers against mine, he falls out of my reach.

"Dream!" My voice pierces the night as I watch Dream fall from the cliff, his arms flailing in an attempt to find mine again.

"George!" The pain in his tone makes my heart break. I'm perfectly helpless.

"George... George!"

My body jerks, and my eyes fly open, light blinding my vision.

"Huh? What" I scramble to sit up, looking around to try to get my bearings. My body shakes as I put my head into my hands, realizing that it was all in my head.

"Hey, hey!" I feel Dream's hand touch my wrist, hoping to pull my hands from my face. "What is it? Bad dream?"

From anyone else, it would've made me mad, because it would've seemed patronizing, yet from Dream, all I hear in his voice is concern.

"I couldn't save you." I choke out, tears brimming in my eyes.

"What happened?" His voice is soft, and his touch is softer, slowly pulling my hands away from my eyes, revealing my emotional state to him.

"You were... you were holding on to the edge of a cliff, and you called out to me, and I couldn't save you. You fell, you died, and I was helpless. I had to watch you fall to your death."

Dream sighs softly, and places his hand on my shoulder, pulling me gently into him. Tears threaten to roll down my cheeks, but I do everything I can to hold them in. I shake, pressing my face into the fabric of his sweatshirt.

His hand finds the back of my head, pushing his fingers up into my hair. Sighing deeply, I collect myself, finally relaxing into his arms.

"I'm sorry if I woke you up..." I mutter softly, not wanting to pull away from his embrace.

"Shh." Dream says simply, not accepting any apologies. "You were calling out my name..." He admits quietly, seeming slightly embarrassed. I pull back slightly, looking up at the bottom of his jaw.

I open my mouth to say something, but nothing comes to mind. Looking still at the bottom of his chin, I notice again all the scars on his skin; ranging from small white slashes to larger, still bright pink ones.

His head tilts down, and I lose sight of his chin. Looking up at where his eyes would be, I wonder for a second if he'll ever trust me to show me his face.

"Why do you wear that?" My impulsive thoughts get the best of me. At first, Dream seems surprised by my question.

"Well..." He trails off, turning his head away from me. "I've gotten into a lot of fights over the years. Even before the fires. And I made a lot of enemies. Dangerous ones."

My mouth opens slightly as my brain tries to comprehend what he's saying.

"Oh." I say lamely, not knowing what else to say. Not wanting to press him any further in fear of upsetting him or making him angry, I decide to drop the subject.

"Do you know what time of day it is?" I ask, looking out towards the doors. From what I can tell, it's probably very early in the morning; maybe around 7 or 8 am.

Suddenly, we both seem to remember what kind of position we're in. We're both on the floor, arms wrapped tightly around each other. Dream pulls away slowly, his touch still lingering on my back.

I stand, and offer a hand to him to help him up, and he takes it, muttering a small thanks. A nod follows in response. The air around us is awkward as Dream stretches out his limbs, his joints cracking loudly in the silence.

He walks over to the door of the convenience store, pushing it open and stepping outside. His head snaps back to me, and what little I can see of his face pales.

"It's hot." He says simply, and my stomach drops. We need to move fast. Frantically, we both start shoving stuff into our packs, trying to be efficient but also quick. We have five minutes until they're upon us, max.

I throw my pack over my shoulder and race out the door, Dream close on my tail. We don't dare to look back as we race away from the store, sweat already running down my back.


	5. five.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> dream inquires about the sentiment behind george's knife, and george shares a small bit of the past with him. he then asks dream if he is to ever see his face, and dream does something that surprises him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! this work was originally posted on wattpad, and i am the author, poseidonprince, from there. i honestly don't care if the cc's know about this fic or not, but please don't shove it in their faces. if they express even the slightest inclination of being uncomfortable with any fanfiction of this nature, this will be removed immediately from both sites.

word total for this chapter: 1416

\---

My breathing is heavy, and I'm falling slightly behind Dream, his longer legs carrying him further with each stride. When the weather slowly starts to feel colder, we slow slightly, more to a fast walk.

Picking our way through the trees, avoiding the thick roots and low hanging branches, we walk for hours, until the temperature feels almost normal.

"We should probably eat." Dream says as we come to a small clearing in the trees. It's a small field with some flowers and a small pond.

Such a shame that it'll be destroyed soon. I think to myself.

I nod in agreement to his comment, my stomach growling loudly. We settle in the middle of the field, flowers and tall grass surrounding us easily. I set my pack down next to me, unzipping the compartment and pulling out something small for me to eat.

Dream does the same, offering me some of his. I decline with a shake of my head, but I offer him some of mine in response.

What he does surprises me. He leans forward, lifting the bottom of his mask just enough to reveal his mouth, and takes a bite. My mouth drops open, but I'm not sure if it's from surprise or disbelief that he actually did that.

He chuckles, a small wheeze escaping his mouth. I huff dramatically, rolling my eyes at him. We finish our food, and each of us drain a bottle of water, throwing the empty bottles back into our bags.

My legs and feet start to ache again as we walk for a few more hours. Just as the sun starts to wane, we decide to take another break, finding some thick tree cover to settle under.

"George..." Dream breaks the silence, his tone questioning, full of uncertainty. I look up at him, momentarily freezing.

"Why didn't you want me touching your knife when we first met? You were adamant that I couldn't take it." His tone is nothing but curiosity, and I know he's not trying to pry.

I open my mouth, yet I pause before speaking. Do I really want him to know this? It's very personal.

"It was a gift." I say simply, looking away from his gaze.

"From who?" Dream's voice is soft, cautious. He's trying not to push me too far.

"My best friend. He gave it to me before..." I assume he can guess the rest. He lets out a soft oh, and drops the subject, getting back to clearing a spot on the ground to sleep on.

"It's pretty." He says quietly, and I look over at him, yet he's not looking back at me.

"He carved it himself." My voice sounds small in the silence of the evening. His hands stop for a moment, and Dream's head seems to fall slightly. I can tell that his mind is working at the speed of light, and he's trying to figure out the correct response.

"Do you want to tell me about him..?" Dream asks, looking up at me. I look away, and down at my hands, busying them with anything. Debating with my inner thoughts, I think about the pros and cons of telling him.

Pro: You'll finally have someone to grieve with. He's experienced similar things, and he cares about you. Maybe he can help.

Cons: What if he doesn't care as much as I think he does? What if he just makes fun of me, or doesn't understand?

Inhaling deeply, I finally decide to just tell him.

"His name was Nick. I always called him Sapnap. We've been best friends since childhood." I say, looking anywhere but at him. "We were genuinely inseparable; the schools hated us, we always got into trouble together."

Smiling softly, I stop for a moment, my mind drifting back to happier days. Nick and I toilet papering our least favorite teacher's house. Running from the police after she came outside and caught us. Almost getting beat by our parents.

Ahh. The good old days.

Snapping back into reality, my smile falls slightly, the truth sinking in once again. A deep pit forms in my stomach, and I sigh deeply, my heart hurting. Dream says nothing for a moment, clearly mulling over his response thoroughly.

"I had a friend like that once. We drifted a lot over the years, though. I wonder what's happened to him now..." He wonders, not asking anyone in particular. A sudden question crosses my mind, and it sits on the edge of my lips.

I'm just barely able to stop it from coming out when I start to think about what could come from it.

Fuck it. What's the worst that can happen?

"Dream?" I ask, and Dream turns to me once more, and although I can't see his face, I can tell he's giving me a questioning look, waiting for my response.

"Do you think you'll ever let me see your face..?" I ask cautiously, turning away from his gaze. He seems to freeze for a moment, and I tense, hoping that I didn't make him upset by asking.

Dream seems to debate with himself for a moment, and I can hear him moving around, keeping his hands busy. He hums for a second, and then he stops.

"George." He says, his voice small. I hum in response, scrounging through my pack, double and triple checking my supplies.

"George." Dream says again, this time more confidently. Just as I turn and am about to mumble out a what, I notice that he has his mask off.

My jaw drops open.

Jesus Christ, this man is beautiful. Is my first thought. And to say I'm embarrassed by that is an understatement.

He wheezes, snapping me back to present. I close my mouth, swallowing hard.

"Woah." Is all I can manage to get out. Taking a step closer, I reach my hand out absentmindedly, running my fingertips along the edge of his jaw, and then down his cheek bone, and over the bridge of his nose.

Just as I swipe the pad of my thumb on his cheek, just below his eyes, his hand catches mine, and I realize what an awkward action this is. I blush deeply and try to pull away, but Dream's grip is firm.

My eyes meet his for the first time, and I realize just how pretty they are. They're a light green blue with very light brown in the centers.

His hold on my hand loosens, and I pull my hand from his, yet I don't step back like I was thinking of doing before. This time, instead of tracing the prominent features of his face, I run the tip of my index finger along each of the scars on his face.

It comes to my attention just how many there are, and how different each of them are.

I want to memorize his face. The thought hits me like a ton of bricks, and I'm left breathless for a few seconds. His eyes seem to search my face, and I notice how expressive he really is.

I always assumed his emotion from his body language but his face shows so much more emotion than I thought it would.

You're so pretty... I think to myself, catching new aspects of his face and his skin by the second.

Suddenly, his eyes light up and his mouth cracks open. Dream starts laughing, his iconic wheeze filling my ears.

"Thank you, Georgie." He says teasingly, and I start for a moment, confused.

"You said I was pretty." Dream defends, and my eyes widen. I close my eyes slowly, wanting to curl into a ball and die. I can't believe I said that out loud.

"You're stupid." I say defensively, looking away, taking a small step back. It's then that I realize how close we had been previously. He seems to notice at the same time.

My entire face feels like it's on fire, and Dream's looks similar. Moments pass, and our eyes remain locked. He finally breaks the silence, stepping forward slightly. We're so close that our chests almost touch, and I have to look up to maintain eye contact.

Dream holds his arms out slightly, silently asking for a hug. I accept and sink into his touch, my head tucked into the side of his neck. His arms are tight around me, and I hold him just the same.

We'll get through this. The voice in my head tells me. And I believe it.


End file.
